GUIDE TO TENTS

Prospector Moonshadow 8- by 8-Foot Dome Tent

Manufacturer : Prospector
In Stock : 1

List Price:	$59.99
Price:	$31.66
You Save:	$28.33 (47%)

Features

Sleeps up to four campers
Measures 8 feet long by 8 feet wide with a 4 feet, 6 inch center height
Shock-corded fiberglass poles allow for easy setup
Two D-shape doors with built-in windows allow for easy entry and exit and provide excellent ventilation
A gear loft will keep your belongings organized and out of the way

Product Description

Ideal for weekend camping trips with friends and family, the Prospector Moonshadow 8- by 8-Foot Dome Tent is large enough to sleep up to four people yet compact enough to fit conveniently on a backpack. The footprint measures eight feet long by eight feet wide and offers a center height of four feet, six inches. Two D-style doors feature built-in windows and provide easy access to the tent as well as providing air flow and ventilation throughout the tent.

The Moonshadow's frame is composed of shock-corded fiberglass poles that allow for quick assembly. The three-quarter rainfly is fully seam-taped and is constructed of water-resistant polyester to keep you dry in wet conditions. No-see-um mesh on the interior will keep bugs away for a comfortable camping adventure. When packed up, the tent weighs a compact 10 pounds and can be easily toted around in the included carry bag. Additional features include a gear loft to keep your equipment organized and out of the way and inner pockets to stash small items.

Specifications:

Footprint: 8' x 8' x 4'6" (L x W x H)
Weight: 10 pounds
Fly: 3/4 rain fly, seam taped pole seam
Fly Material: 800mm water resistant polyester
Interior Material: 800mm polyester, No-See-Um mesh
Floor Material: PE, 1000mm horizontal
Shock-corded fiberglass poles
Two D-shape doors with storm cloth zip covers
Two guy rope attachments and guy ropes
Inner pockets and flashlight loop tie

What's in the Box?
Tent, rainfly, shockcorded poles, guy rope attachments and guy ropes, carry bag

Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all-purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber, or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall, and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three-season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature presealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four-season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one- and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating of 4.00 out of 10 reviews

Rating :
Great tent for summer weather - David Hogan, May 13, 2008

This tent is great. I have taken it on several camping trips with my friends and my girlfriend. Some things to consider before buying would be that the tent is not very wind resistant and will move around in the wind. a clip on the tent snapped in the wind, but this piece wasn't too important, and we fixed it with duct tape. This is a good tent, but it works best in summer conditions. The stakes are also too weak, so all in all, it would be wise to invest in some duct tape, string tent stakes, and some seam sealer. NOT A GOOD TENT FOR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS! All in all, my frineds, my girlfriend and I have had alot of good campouts in this tent.

Rating :
You Get What You Pay For I guess - A. Sassman, Apr 27, 2008

This tent set up easily and seemed like a good deal at first but our camping night was ruined when it was windy and cold and the zippers broke after only 4 or 5 uses - so we froze! Plus the poles broke and the stakes were cheap and bent easily...making our tent practically blow away in the wind. Overall the materials for this tent were really cheap and I ended up throwing it away after one use. I'd recommend spending more money for a higher quality tent, you get what you pay for I guess.

Rating :
Not Bad - A. Crawford, Mar 04, 2008

For such a low price, I couldn't be happier. I used it five times last summer. It was easy to set up and tear down. The size is ideal for two people but could easily accommodate three people that don't mind a little cuddling. It stood up to light rain well (almost no leakage) and withstood heavy rain fairly well (small amount of leakage). I recommend getting a can of the water proofing spray. You will be much happier, and drier. The last trip I took was much more pleasant after the spray.

Rating :
Great tent on a budget - R. Krisher, Oct 30, 2007

I am not a tent maven. I got this to put in the backyard for extra guests, or for low intensity camping. Materials were strong & sufficient, and zippers & zipper stitching are well made. Assembley was similar to prior experience with dome tents; exception: the ends of the fiberglass rods do not fit in a fabric pouch. Rather, the ends have a hole, and each tent corner has a rotatable metal 2" shaft that slides into the end of the fiberglass rod. More tension than previously needed with the fabric pouch must be kept on this metal shaft or it falls out of the fiberglass rod end. Having assembled by myself, the first rod took 5 minutes to get up (I was NOT going to ask the wife for help). The second one took 15 seconds. One person can easily get this up by themselves; two people would be easier (but show weakness).

Rating :
So-so - Vanessa N. Wilson, Oct 30, 2007

I bought this tent to go to RenFest. We camped out 2 nights and it was freezing cold both nights. Once when I woke up, my fiance's feet were wet and freezing because they had been up against the tent wall. There was dew all over the outside of the tent and every time we moved, some shook down on our faces!! I'm not talking damp, but the walls were saturated. Also, it made me nervous changing in there because i could see people through the mesh. It was just big enough to fit a queen size air mattress, but not much else. I have no idea how 3 or 4 people could fit in this. The zippers worked really well though, and the height wasn't bad, even with a double sized air mattress.

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